Fair Trade

"We wanted to keep the same vibe," said Edina Sultanik of the second season of Capsule, New York's first carefully edited men's trade show that she co-founded in 2007. "We wanted to keep it small, keep it family—but just make it a bit bigger." Indeed, it's not the scope of this relaxed and manageable show that has increased—it's the depth. Even though organizers literally lifted the presentation to the rafters by opening up the third floor of the Angel Orensanz center on the Lower East Side, it was the little things that impressed this time around.

From left: Ksubi sunglasses, Krane's new jacket line, Chronicles of Never shoes.

On top of impressive new collections by our favorites—Public School, B.Son, Josh Podoll, Pa:Nuu and others—small changes and small items sparked our interest. Gilded Age, for instance, didn't alter their turn-of-the-century workmanlike spirit. Instead, they refocused it with a new high-end capsule line—Gilded—a new partnership with Loro Piana cashmere, and a collection of gorgeous, weathered luggage. Similarly, Cavern introduced a new denim line streaked with chartreuse that's a perfect match for their extravagant, hand spun T-shirts. Ksubi seems to be selling as much of its bright eyewear as its signature denim and we'll be looking out for Cassette's limited run of waxed jeans. Both YMC and Endovanera are adding depth to their practice with new women's lines, and Krane has introduced a series of jackets that match their sharply constructed soft bags.

Amid all the dress sweatshirts and plaid, there were some new discoveries, too. On top of some impressive footwear, Chronicles of Never's rough-hewn geometric charms and jewelry as well as Toyme's sterling-silver scissor bracelets and barbecue ashtray are new objects of desire. Side by side on the exhibition floor, our coolest find 3:33 offered a new quilted and plaid take on the classic Ked sneaker, while Gram showed some clever mash-ups of timeless canvas low-tops and leather boot constructions. Squirreled away on the back of the third floor, the new line Shades of Greige showed that top-quality gingham shirts with epaulets and tartan tops with attached ties can be had at very attractive price points. Finally, newcomers Pegleg injected the midwinter cool with a splash of color and humor through their collection of men's and women's sweaters and tops that seemed to have arrived untouched by time from our middle school years…a perfect end to our seasonal inoculation from Capsule.